Story+1999-11-10+Indianapolis,+IN

”Patti sent her regards, she’s home with, uh.....she popped her eardrum on an airplane and she can’t travel for a while.....the boys are gonna do their best for you tonight so (cheers).....here’s something we haven’t been playing.....”
 * 10.11.99 Indianapolis, IN, intro to ‘My Hometown’:**

‘‘(sings ‘It’s Alright’ and ‘Take Me to the River’)....that’s right.....that’s where I wanna go.....I wanna find that river of life....and the river of love.....and of hope.....I wanna go to that river of faith.....and happiness.....river of sanctification......that river of resurrection where everybody gets a second chance.....that’s where I wanna go tonight.....and I want you to go with me...... because I need to go with you......that’s why I’m here......because you can’t get there by yourself.....you can try and everybody tries at some time.....when you’re young, you try running and hiding.....but in the end you can’t get there by yourself.....well, I found myself as a young man..... one evening I was standing before a dark grove of trees...... and like a little child, I was frightened to pass through those trees, even though I knew that the river of life.....was waiting on the other side.....along with cold beer at a reasonable price .....but I stood there paralyzed.....my legs we like stone.....my arms were like lead and I said ‘I’m not going’......because I knew there was responsobilities that come with that life.....and man, I’m gonna keep running and I’m gonna keep hiding because that’s what I know how to do.....I’m good at it.....just as I was about to quit, I heard something sweet......coming through the trees in front of me (Roy plays)....and I heard a voice beckoning me onward and I stepped into the forest... and there was a gypsy lady.....sitting out in front of an air-streamed trailer with New Jersey plates.....and she said ‘Don’t give up, son.....find some courage but what you need, you need some help.....you need a band ‘…and that’s why I’d like to introduce tonight the dean of the university of musical perversity, Secretary of intelligence, Professor Roy Bittan on the piano......standing with me on the riverside.....foundation of the E Street nation, southern man, Mr. Garry W.Tallent.....standing with me at the riverside.....the Secretary of faith and friendship, keeper of all that’s righteous on E Street, star of the Sopranos, Little Steve Van Zandt on the guitar....stand with me, brother, at the riverside.....the Minister of the big beat, Secretary of syncopation.....star of Late Night Television, bringing the power, Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums.....standing with me at the riverside..... the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren).....standing with me at the riverside......Minister of mystery and all things (?) on E Street......on the accordion and organ, brother Dan Federici ..... standing with me at the riverside.....and as I passed through the trees, I saw on the riverbanks were a crowd of people (?) and their hands waving in the air.....but I couldn’t go on because there was still something missing.....something mighty, something important, something fundamental.....something very big.....Minister of soul and the Secretary of brotherhood, do I have to say his name ?.....”
 * 10.11.99 Indianapolis, IN, middle of ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’:**

‘‘(a guy from the crowd plays Bruce’s acoustic during the song) Patti, your place has been taken.....”
 * 10.11.99 Indianapolis, IN, after ‘Working on the Highway’:**

‘‘Indianapolis!….Indianapolis!…I said Indianapolis!…. Indianapolis!… but everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen people lost in confusion....I’ve seen people lost in the wilderness.....I’ve seen people lost in bitterness.....I’ve seen people lost in faithlessness but we’ve come thousands of miles tonight to the great state of Indiana on a search-and-rescue mission..…if you´ve been downhearted, dispirited, disgusted, downsized, dispossessed, analysed, stigmatised, fractionalised, Pokemonized, retropsychedelicized….don’t despair ! do not despair !….I‘m here tonight to re-educate, to resuscitate, to regenerate, to reconfiscate, to reindoctrinate, to resexualate, to rededicate you, to reliberate you with the power and the promise, with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory, with the power and the glory and the majesty and the mystery and the foolishness, with the ministry of rock’n’roll ! ….that´s right….that´s right….that’s right….but unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I cannot promise you life everlasting….but I can promise you life…right now! ….all you´ve got to do raise your hand and say ‘I’ ”
 * 10.11.99 Indianapolis, IN, middle of ‘Light of Day’**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//